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External Innovation Pharmaceutical Jobs in Indiana

Partner with R&D and External Innovation leaders to ensure consistent implementation and ... pharmaceutical, or biotech industries, including executive leadership and high-value deal execution.

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External Innovation Pharmaceutical information

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an External Innovation Specialist in the pharmaceutical industry, and why are they important?

To excel as an External Innovation Specialist in pharmaceuticals, you need a strong scientific background, expertise in drug development, and knowledge of partnership or licensing processes, typically backed by an advanced degree in life sciences or related fields. Familiarity with databases for scouting technologies, intellectual property management systems, and project management tools is highly valued. Outstanding networking, negotiation, and analytical thinking skills set professionals apart in this collaborative and strategic role. These capabilities are crucial for identifying and securing external opportunities that drive innovation and long-term growth in a competitive industry.

What is the highest paying job in pharmaceuticals?

In the pharmaceutical industry, senior executive roles such as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) or Chief Medical Officer (CMO) tend to be the highest paying positions, often earning six-figure salaries plus bonuses. These roles require extensive experience, advanced degrees, and leadership skills, and they oversee research, development, and strategic decision-making within pharmaceutical companies.

What is external innovation in the pharmaceutical industry?

External innovation in the pharmaceutical industry refers to the process by which companies seek new ideas, technologies, or products from outside their own organization. This often involves collaborating with academic institutions, biotech startups, or other pharmaceutical companies through partnerships, licensing agreements, or acquisitions. The goal of external innovation is to accelerate drug discovery and development, reduce costs, and bring innovative medicines to market more efficiently. It complements internal research and development efforts by leveraging external expertise and resources.

What is external innovation in pharma?

External innovation in pharma involves collaborating with external partners such as biotech companies, academic institutions, or startups to access new technologies, research, and ideas that can accelerate drug development and improve existing therapies. This approach often includes licensing, joint ventures, or strategic alliances and requires skills in partnership management and due diligence.

What is the jobs to be done theory of innovation?

The jobs to be done (JTBD) theory of innovation focuses on understanding the specific problems or needs that customers aim to address with a product or service. For an External Innovation Pharmaceutical professional, applying JTBD involves identifying unmet medical needs or gaps in current treatments to develop innovative solutions that fulfill those core customer jobs, often using customer insights and market research. This approach helps guide the development of new drugs, technologies, or partnerships aligned with real user demands.

What jobs require innovation?

Jobs in fields like pharmaceutical research, product development, and R&D often require innovation to develop new treatments, improve processes, or create novel solutions. Roles such as External Innovation Pharmaceutical professionals focus on identifying and implementing innovative strategies, often involving skills in scientific research, project management, and collaboration with cross-functional teams.

How does the External Innovation role in pharmaceuticals typically collaborate with internal R&D and external partners?

In an External Innovation Pharmaceutical role, professionals act as a bridge between internal research teams and external partners such as biotech firms, academic institutions, and startups. Collaboration involves identifying promising technologies or assets outside the company, facilitating due diligence, and aligning external opportunities with internal R&D objectives. Regular cross-functional meetings and joint project teams are common, ensuring transparent communication and alignment of goals. This collaborative approach accelerates innovation while managing potential risks and intellectual property concerns.

What is the difference between External Innovation Pharmaceutical vs External Innovation Pharmaceutical?

AspectExternal Innovation Pharmaceutical

Since the comparison is with the same job title, there is no difference between External Innovation Pharmaceutical and External Innovation Pharmaceutical. Both roles focus on identifying and collaborating with external partners to drive pharmaceutical innovation, requiring similar credentials, work environment, and industry usage. This role typically involves liaising with biotech firms, academic institutions, and other external entities to source new drug candidates or technologies, making it a key position in pharmaceutical R&D collaborations.

What job categories do people searching External Innovation Pharmaceutical jobs in Indiana look for? The top searched job categories for External Innovation Pharmaceutical jobs in Indiana are:
What cities in Indiana are hiring for External Innovation Pharmaceutical jobs? Cities in Indiana with the most External Innovation Pharmaceutical job openings:
Infographic showing various External Innovation Pharmaceutical job openings in Indiana as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 85% Full Time, 14% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 89% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution.

Associate Vice President - Transactions and M&A - Neuroscience - Corporate Business Development

Eli Lilly and Company

Indianapolis, IN • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 3 days ago

New


Eli Lilly and Company rating

8.8

Company rating: 8.8 out of 10

Based on 63 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

11th of 86 rated pharmaceutical


Job description

At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve. This is hard, urgent, selfless work-but it's work worth doing. If you're driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us.


Purpose of the Role:

The Associate Vice President, Head of Transactions and M&A for Lilly Neuroscience is responsible for all business development transactions within Lilly's Neuroscience business unit including but not limited to M&A, in-licensing, out-licensing/divestitures, and equity investments. This role involves partnering closely with executives within Lilly's Neuroscience commercial business unit and development leaders within Lilly Research Labsto identify and pursue new business opportunities, developing and executing transactions, strategic partnerships, and driving growth initiatives to bring external innovation to the company.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Responsible for overseeing all neuroscience transactions across all stages of development (discovery, preclinical, clinical, commercial, etc.), including negotiations for business deals, licensing agreements, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic collaborations.

  • Lead deal teams and collaborate with cross-functional teams (Legal, Corporate Investment & Financial Banking, Accounting & Finance Planning, Alliance Management, etc.) to maximize transaction success and drive continued efficiency, productivity, and profitability.

  • Coaches and oversees Senior Directors on the Transactions team leading and executing neuroscience transactions.

  • Achieves results through individual performance and the performance of their transaction teams.

  • Partners with the neuroscience Search & Evaluation team to identify and evaluate external opportunities to grow company portfolio and drive continuous business growth.

  • Influences senior leadership, internal stakeholders and external partners on key decisions, including identifying opportunities for accessing new portfolios, technologies, processes, products/molecules, or services.

  • Lead large-scale company business development initiatives, projects, and programs with significant risk, financial/resource requirements, and complexity to achieve our external innovation objectives.

  • Makes decisions guided by transactional expertise/business acumen and anticipates changes in the external environment.

  • Creates and fosters strategic relationships with key external players to identify and anticipate opportunities for growth.

  • Solves unique and complex problems with broad impact on the business.

  • Identifies long and short-term partner, competitive, and environmental trends.

Basic Qualifications:

  • Minimum 10 years' experience in the pharmaceutical industry in the following types of roles: business development (affiliate, business unit or corporate), research and development, finance, sales or marketing, new product planning, or project management.

  • Minimum Bachelor's Degree, Graduate degree (MBA, PhD, MD) preferred.

  • Qualified candidates must be legally authorized to be employed in the United States. Lilly does not anticipate providing sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H-1B or TN status) for this employment position

Additional Skills/Preferences:

  • Business development transaction experience in licensing, M&A, and equity investments in the biotech / pharmaceutical industry.

  • Life sciences banking and/or consulting experience preferred.

  • Strong understanding of clinical development and commercial landscape, including technical understanding of key products, mechanisms, indications, etc.

  • Proven and strong collaboration and influence skills with colleagues at all levels, including executives.

  • Strong knowledge and experience working across R&D and commercialization.

  • Effective problem-solving and analytical skills to evaluate and resolve highly complex or unusual business and organizational problems.

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

  • High learning agility and adaptability.

  • Strong ability to handle high ambiguity and complexity.

  • Demonstrated success in roles involving persuasion, influence, and negotiation.

  • Excellent self-management and organizational skills.

  • Self-starter with bias to action.

Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions. If you require accommodation to submit a resume for a position at Lilly, please complete the accommodation request form (https://careers.lilly.com/us/en/workplace-accommodation) for further assistance. Please note this is for individuals to request an accommodation as part of the application process and any other correspondence will not receive a response.


Lilly is proud to be an EEO Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.


Our employee resource groups (ERGs) offer strong support networks for their members and are open to all employees. Our current groups include: Africa, Middle East, Central Asia (AMECA), Black Employees at Lilly (BE@Lilly), Chinese Culture Network (CCN), EnAble, Evolve, Lilly Indian Network (LIN), Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), Pride (LGBTQ+ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN) and Women's Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL).


Actual compensation will depend on a candidate's education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is

$243,000 - $356,400

Full-time equivalent employees also will be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance). In addition, Lilly offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees, including eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k); pension; vacation benefits; eligibility for medical, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits; flexible benefits (e.g., healthcare and/or dependent day care flexible spending accounts); life insurance and death benefits; certain time off and leave of absence benefits; and well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities).Lilly reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion and Lilly's compensation practices and guidelines will apply regarding the details of any promotion or transfer of Lilly employees.

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About Eli Lilly

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Eli Lilly, based in Indianapolis, IN, US, is one of the pioneers in the pharmaceutical industry with a rich history dating back to 1876. This global pharmaceutical company focuses on discovering, developing, manufacturing and selling pharmaceutical products in approximately 120 countries. The company's product categories include endocrinology, oncology, cardiovascular, neuroscience, and immunology. Having invested over $9 billion in research and development in the past decade, Eli Lilly is also committed to creating high-quality medicines that meet real needs. As a recipient of several awards and recognitions, Eli Lilly is known for its focus on life-saving research and drug development. Their mission is to make medicines that help people live longer, healthier, and more active lives.

Industry

Pharmaceutical product wholesalers

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Indianapolis, IN, US

Year founded

1876